How to market your domain names and connect with buyers

Got .EU? The many ways to bring in buyers: It's can be easier than you think.

Moderator This Forum

joined:June 2, 2003
posts:7885
votes: 35

This thread is about how to go about the business of marketing your domain names, listed in order of relative ease.

Here's how domain marketing works.

1. DOMAINS FOR WHICH NO SALES PITCH NECESSARY: The domain sells itself because it's just a really good one: Many, many interested parties: End users, traffic merchants, speculators, people hoping you are stupid or naive. These people will regularly email you, using the email address in the WhoIs record. You don't have to do a darned thing to attract buyers. The domain does all the marketing work itself.

2. A HINT IS SUFFICIENT: It's a large world. Though no one has approached you about buying your domain in the last 3 months there's a chance there might be a few interested parties. The way many/most prospective buyers find their way to you is via the WhoIs record for the domain. Therefore, you place a line in the WhoIs record for the domain, on a secondary address line such as the organizational record or technical contact sections, that says "Domain For Sale". That way, even the slightly curious but not very interested might find their way to you.

3. A HINT PLUS AN ANTI-ANXIETY MEASURE: If you have already placed your "for sale hint" in the WhoIs record THEN you might also do well to reference a URL - in the WhoIs, preferably in the TechContact section - of an address where prices for your domain(s) can be found. Make a simple webpage listing the domains and their prices.

Why add prices to the mix? Because many people won't even bother to ask for a price, convinced that most domain speculators are thieves or have unreasonable expectations. Others potentially interested parties are simply too busy and prefer to not waste time on fruitless inquiries. The lack of info suggests either an amateur at work or someone who just doesn't care if the domain sells. SO, IF YOU WANT TO SELL then suck up your guts (it's scary to state a price) and state a reasonable price. (Setting prices is a topic for another thread. This thread is focused simply on the idea of "how to sell, how to find buyers".

4. PARK THAT DOMAIN! Why? Because most people interested in a specific domain - exactly the type of person you want to attract - will type the domain into a browser. Domain PPC parking sends at least an ambiguous message "this domain might be available for development". Even better, most domain parking services incorporate a link, at least as an option, that says "Inquire about this domain" or "Domain for Sale".

There are incidental benefits to domain parking: a) You might make some money from clicks on the domain landers; b) you will develop domain traffic stats, which is one variable in the pricing models for domains; and, c) a sudden surge in traffic might be a signal to raise your pricing expectations.

5. MAKE A MINISITE: If you don't want to park the domain you might build a mini-site and place a notice on the site that the domain is for sale. If it's the right type of website you might even qualify for Adsense, so you'll have a revenue stream. PLUS there are domain buyers who look for domains with "aged" websites. You might want to keep traffic stats for your minisite, especially stats with referrers (not just a hit counter).

6. LISTING DOMAINS FOR SALE IN DOMAIN FORUMS. List the domain at each and every domain name forum (there's a growing number of them) that allow you to list domains for sale. I'm not going to promote the other forums here, as they're easy enough to find, so don't you mention either, please. :) There's all levels of quality of dialogue and content, but that doesn't matter much if all you wish to do is to expose your domains to the greatest number of potential interested paries. Just Google "domain forum" or "domain name forum".

The downside of domain forum reselling IS that you invariably are reselling to other speculators. Therefore, chances are they won't be suckers for your junk domains. Likewise, they won't be impressed by your sales pitch either. Forget pitching the domain for its brandability, catchiness, etc. They will pay, at most, 1/10 of an reasonably expected enduser value. They might buy based upon traffic stats, but that assumes you already parked the domain. IF they buy based upon proven/reliable traffic stats they will offer anywhere from 18months to 9+ years of the proven domain revenue, supported by evidence of the domain's longevity.

Does listing a domain for sale at such an agency do you any better than any of the above approaches? IMHO, the answer is no. Why? Because, once again, a domain sells itself: All you have to do is to communicate that it IS, in fact, available for sale. You can use any of the above processes to send that message.

What's the advantage of such firms? These include

a) You can bulk upload your domains into a system that is specifically designe for domain reselling, so if you want a highly managed environment - go for it. You will have to share in the profits but that's the price you pay for your lack of initiative OR for the convenience, if you view it that way. I say, since you have to address offers no matter where they come from, that domain firms don't really ease the work. Also, such entities can be magnets for marginal minds: People bottom feeding, etc., so you may end up wasting more time.

b) These firms are now employing PPC systems that allow you to make some money and track traffic. I don't read about how happy people are with the significant revenue, but at least it's something.

c) Such systems lend an air of legitimacy to your domain sales: They attempt to use their brand to build confidence in potential buyers. They offer escrow services. They offer appraisals.

Having been involved in this process since late 1998 it's my humble opinion that all the effort in the world will not turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. If your domain is junk it will remain junk.

If your domain has some slight appeal you might encounter a buyer once or twice a year. In that case, just make an entry in your WhoIs record and keep paying your renewals.

If your domain has greater appeal, as evidence by more routine inquiries and type-in traffic, then by all means park it, make some revenue and await inquiries. They will come.

IF you have a rock-the-world domain then you really don't have to do a darned thing: the world will beat a path to your door. Just be certain you have a decent idea about value, which is a subject for another thread.

The most important step involved in domain marketing is choosing the right domain in the first place. IF you choose wisely the rest of the process can be quite rewarding. IF you choose unwisely, there is still a chance that you might recover something for your effort. Hopefully this little thread will show you the way.

Any other ideas about how to go about marketing domain names?

<Note to new members and first time posters in this section of WebmasterWorld: Please, this is not a thread for promoting specific marketing services or websites, nor do we allow the posting of your domain names for sale or appraisal. Please take a moment to read this forum's Charter [webmasterworld.com] if you're a new member. Thank you.>

Junior Member

Does listing a domain for sale at such an agency do you any better than any of the above approaches? IMHO, the answer is no. Why? Because, once again, a domain sells itself: All you have to do is to communicate that it IS, in fact, available for sale. You can use any of the above processes to send that message.

Yes a domain "sells itself" but there are thousands of people that don't know which specific domain to buy, so they need a place to search for similar names that target their keyword.

Right now if I wanted a car insurance related name it would be a pretty good idea to start my brainstorming for possible names by goind to sedo or afternic and searching for avaliable names with that keyword.

Junior Member

joined:Aug 12, 2004
posts:196
votes: 0

I don't know if this is unique or not but this is one tactic I initated last week. I am parked at one of the above mentioned resellers. My parked domain is full of PPC ads and sitting waiting for a buyer. In the meantime I get very little traffic and the AdSense return per click is peanuts. I opened AdWord campaigns on a number of them. I clearly state in my ad that the domain is FOR SALE. One keyword has generated 50,000 impressions with 130 clicks at .06 per click to me. This has translated to roughly $2 in revenue but that is not my point. I want to gain the attention of a domain buyer on that keyword. It beats the cost of paying to promote the name within the resellers site. The reseller gets unkown revenues from the ads on my site so I cannot see them complaining.

Senior Member

Senior Member

joined:July 20, 2004
posts:703
votes: 0

... MAKE A MINISITE: If you don't want to park the domain you might build a mini-site and place a notice on the site that the domain is for sale. If it's the right type of website you might even qualify for Adsense, so you'll have a revenue stream. PLUS there are domain buyers who look for domains with "aged" websites. You might want to keep traffic stats for your minisite, especially stats with referrers (not just a hit counter).

A major issue is you can not run Adsense on a site if it's for sale from what I know first hand. In fact, basically the only domain/website I have which referred to website for sale got a notice from G they have permanently disabled Adsense from the domain due to that issue! That happened a few weeks after they first emailed me about it. At that time I forgot to remove the bottom ad unit after removing the upper ad unit.

However, if you do not put up a for sale notice you will likely never get any offers in the first place since the visitor who may want to buy it assumes it's not available for sale because it's a developed site, so he does bother to inquire.

Still another big negative is that in a WIPO case the complaining party can use as evidence in the proceeding to win the case that you said the domain is for sale as a way to claim bad faith registration regarding a trademark.

New User

joined:Mar 12, 2006
posts:24
votes: 0

Good post. Marketing and promoting your domains definitely does lead to sales. I have my names listed on two of the above mentioned providers and I've tried parking with them both too. You just can't do it half azzed you have to put some effort into it. Listing it on boards, cross listing on different markets...it leads to sales...trust me. Not all names sell themselves. You let more people know that something is available and you get more offers.

Moderator This Forum

I see nothing in the Adsense Terms and Conditions or Program Policies stating that efforts to sell one's business/website contravenes program policy or is grounds for termination.

OTHO, if someone is in the business of selling websites that person might run afoul of Adsense policy, particularly if they are manufacturing and selling low quality "made for Adsense" websites, worse if they are representing that such sites are "Adsense ready", suggesting that the website meets eligibility requirements.

Trader, the decision in your case may be explained by reviewer impression, based upon the facts of your case, not an absolute rule against having Adsense on a website that is for sale. An absolute rule barring participation in the program upon deciding to list one's business for sale would be a bit draconian, as the buying and selling of a business is activity in the ordinary course of business.

OTOH, as the Terms and Conditions state:

"Google reserves the right to refuse participation to any applicant or participant at any time in its sole discretion."

This language has a broad sweep so, in any case, one is often wise to make inquiries about their particular course of action.

New User

Senior Member

joined:July 20, 2004
posts:703
votes: 0

Great article Webwork and sorry I misunderstood you before. My bad.

Do you think it would be very tough to sell domains which are actually small developed sites (vs parked pages) because possible buyers will assume since it is an active website it must not be for sale? Assuming the answer is yes, any way to overcome that issue?

P.S. Not too fond of implementing a notice on the site that it's for sale (or in Whois), though they are excellent methods for most others.

Senior Member

Senior Member

joined:Apr 25, 2005
posts:677
votes: 0

trader hard to guess but if the website you are going to develope woudl look good then develope it if it would be something very simple then you better keep it parked as that way the buyer will ask you "How much does it making just keeping it parked?" Most buyers buying names to keep them parked

Moderator This Forum

joined:June 2, 2003
posts:7885
votes: 35

I can't imagine a buyer, looking for a particular domain, would be at all put off by the existence of a website unless the website was blackhat (penalty concern), grossly off topic for the domain, or grossly over priced.

The existance of a website has never stopped me and many others from inquiring. A smallish website that hasn't been touched in several years is one sign of an abandoned interest.

Everything is always case by case, as you are dealing with human beings - who are a varied and ofttimes unpredictable lot.